


Ascend to the Throne

by sagwalli



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Adaptation, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Chronicles of Narnia Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, F/F, Fantasy, Fluff and Humor, High Fantasy, Humor, Light Angst, Narnia, Romance, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-15 08:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17525267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagwalli/pseuds/sagwalli
Summary: Seulgi, Irene, Joy, and Yeri have been living a normal life for over a year, going to school and doing their work before starting the same process all over again the next day. It's been a long time since they've been to Narnia, so imagine their surprise when they find themselves sucked back into the magical land to aid Princess Wendy.Wendy is the current heir to the throne of Narnia, but her status is thrown for a loop upon the birth of a son to the current king. Knowing that she stands in the way of this new son's future, Wendy makes a run for it, escaping to the woods where remnants of Old Narnia lay before accidentally calling the Kings and Queens of Old with a blow of Irene's horn. The group of five prepare to take back the kingdom and set things right.War is coming.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Narnia AU! Woohoo! This will be based off The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which is the second installment of the film series. I'll probably write an adaption of a couple of the other films, too.
> 
> First time writing this sort of fantasy kind of story, but I'm super excited! Fingers crossed this turns out okay.

Wendy woke to the sound of an urgent voice and the less-than-gentle shaking of her shoulders.

"Wendy," hissed the voice, panic audible, "you need to wake up. Now."

"Eunji?" Wendy groggily rubbed at her eyes, trying to wipe the sleep away as she made out the general shape of her beloved friend since birth. It was way past midnight, with only a few hours until daylight, and Wendy didn't understand why her beauty sleep was being interrupted.

"There's no time." Eunji gave Wendy another shove, pushing the girl out of bed, and rushed her towards her bedroom door. "We need to leave before they come."

"Who? Who's coming?"

Eunji gripped Wendy's arm tightly and forced the girl to look her in the eye. "She birthed a son, Wendy. A son. You are no longer the heir to the throne. All you are is an obstacle, and the King will not cease to make sure you are gone. His son will be king, and you need to escape. Tonight."

Eunji wordlessly dragged Wendy down a flight of stairs and threw some clothes to her. Eunji had assumed the worst, prepared for this, and thank god she had. Wendy strapped on her light armor and attached her scabbard to her sword belt in a hurry, huffing as she ran through the halls after Eunji. The two exited into the courtyard, sneaking quickly through the night past the guards that would patrol until dawn. They reached an area where several horses grazed in case soldiers needed to ride off in an emergency; the barn was too far for such situations. Lucky for Wendy, but not so lucky for the scheming king who Eunji was sure had already sent guards to Wendy's chambers to carry out the brutal assassination.

"Listen to me, okay?" Eunji commanded Wendy's attention. This was a matter of life or death. "The stories... All of the stories of Narnia, the ones my grandfather told me... All of it is true, okay? Everything I told you about Old Narnia, of the Kings and Queens, of everything," Eunji exhaled hard," all of it is true." Eunji pointed towards the horses. "You need to ride far, Wendy. Straight for the woods, and don't stop. Don't look back-"

"Wait, Eunji-" This was all too much. One day, Wendy was the heir to the throne and then suddenly, she was to be killed. She was leaving everything behind. Everything. Eunji.

"They won't follow you into there," Eunji continued on, ignoring Wendy, "Too much of the Old Magic." Wendy was about to speak again when Eunji then said, "Oh! You must take this," Eunji handed Wendy an ivory white horn, which Wendy hung from her belt. "Blow this only when you are in most dire need of help, and help will come to you. Be careful."

Wendy grabbed the reins of the nearest horse and was about to jump into the saddle when she stopped and reached for Eunji's hand.

"Eunji," said Wendy, running a thumb over the back of the girl's knuckles. Wendy breathed heavily, the adrenaline rushing through her body, and her heart beat a mile a minute trying to process that her very life was in danger. "Tell me I'll see you again."

Eunji smiled sadly and shook her head, squeezing Wendy's hand. "I can't promise you that." Eunji pulled Wendy in for a hug, her breath hitting the base of Wendy's neck and sending a shiver down Wendy's spine. "But I will always be with you, Wendy. Don't forget that."

Wendy swung her leg up and over the horse and settled in the saddle. She then looked down at Eunji, her dearest friend, from on top of the horse, for what could very well be the last time, opening her mouth to speak when footsteps rang out, echoing off the stone walls of the castle and making Wendy's head snap up to attention.

"You must go, quickly," urged Eunji, shaking Wendy's leg. "Please." Wendy yanked at the reins, causing the horse to pivot in the direction of the gate.

"I'll come back, Eunji. I'll see you again." Wendy sounded so determined that Eunji couldn't help but laugh a little in spite of their situation. "I'll come back for my throne."

"And I'll be waiting," answered Eunji, her heart leaping into her throat at seeing Wendy's smile, so bright in the face of danger.

Wendy's mouth opened once more, cut off by the increasingly loud sound of footsteps and the possibility of being discovered. Eunji slapped the horse's haunches, propelling the animal forward and leaving Wendy to send Eunji one last mournful look before disappearing around the corner. Just like that, Wendy was gone.

Gone.

"Lady Eunji!" A guard called out. Several guards trailed behind him. "What are you doing here, my lady?"

"I was walking across the courtyard when I saw someone over here," Eunji said, twisting fistfuls of her dress in mock despair, "and it was Wendy! She didn't say anything, even; just hopped on the horse and took off. That way!"

Once the group of guards was out of sight, Eunji sunk to the floor, knees resting in a bed of hay. She looked up to the sky, where stars twinkled in the night and shined brightly in the darkness. She wondered whether Wendy would make it out, whether she would make it to the woods and look up at the same moon, basking in its light. Eunji prayed that Wendy would be safe and that maybe, just maybe, they really would see each other again.

Wishful thinking, maybe, but it certainly didn't hurt.

Just be safe, Wendy. Please be safe.

 

The shouts of the guards and the yelling of the soldiers were all static. Background noise. Wendy could hear none of it, only listening to the steady clop of hooves against the ground as her horse raced forward. The gate was so close, but Wendy could feel opportunity slipping away. She dug her heels further into the sides of the horse, which whinnied loudly before surging forward and dodging the closing gate. Wendy could feel the wind in her hair as the horse leaped over the moat and headed for the woods.

Wendy thought that she would lose the soldiers, but boy, she was wrong. Soon, the hoofbeats of her own horse were muffled by the thundering steps of the stampede of horses that chased after her, determined riders on their backs. She managed to gain some distance but found herself bucked from her horse when something jumped out. Startled, the horse ran off, leaving Wendy to hold a hand to her head.

Suddenly, a small man came running at her, sword in hand, yelling at the top of his lungs. Another small man ran in a different direction, also yelling with a sword in hand.

Absolutely terrified and unsure of whether to die by the hands of Telmarines or a scary, sword-wielding dwarf man, Wendy remembered what Eunji had said about calling for help. She quickly snatched the horn from her hip, drew in a deep breath, and blew. The horn sounded loud and clear, no doubt alerting the Telmarines to her location, and Wendy cursed before feeling a headache come on.

Then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in the real world, Irene, Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri are living normally when they are suddenly whisked back to Narnia with no explanation as to why.

Irene flipped through the magazine, looking for an article on stains. Recently, she'd been getting clumsier, spilling coffee on her pristine white sweater and then falling in the grass shortly after. The brown and green spots on her sweater were not looking very pretty, and she desperately needed a way to return her sweater to its original state.  _Anybody Home?_  was just the magazine to help.

"Hello there," a boy said cheerfully, picking up a newspaper. He flipped the paper open to a random page, not bothering to look at whatever it was he had flipped to. "You go to school at the... uh..."

"Yes, I do," Irene said with a curt nod. She returned her attention to her magazine only for the boy to keep talking to her.

"Ah, well, I go to school just across the road. Funny we've never talked." His sheepish smile did not charm Irene at all, and she really just wanted to figure out how to get rid of stains, so she just ignored him. He cleared his throat and tried again, smile still on his face. "I've seen you before, you know. I'm Bo Gum. What's your name?"

Irene gave him her best I-am-not-interested-go-away look as she answered, "Joohyun."

"Pretty name, Joohyun-"

"Irene!" Of course, Yeri had to come through and blow her cover. "You have to come quick. Seulgi's gotten into another fight!"

"Another?" Irene asks exasperatedly. That girl really needed to control her temper or blow off steam or  _something._  Yeri took Irene by the hand, leading her away.

"I'll see you later, then!" Bo Gum called, waving. Yeri looked at Irene, who just rolled her eyes and looked back at Yeri with an expression that just dared Yeri to test her patience. Yeri, being the smart girl she was, decided not to.

Yeri led Irene down into the subway, pushing past the crowd of students that were yelling, "Fight! Fight!"

"Oh, Seulgi," Irene said to herself, shaking her head. She was going to kill that girl for her recklessness.

Seulgi's eyes met Irene's as two students picked the bear-like girl up and slammed her back against the wall, causing her to groan. Irene winced at the contact and was suddenly pushed out of the way, her jaw dropping open as Joy pounced and drove one boy into the ground, pummeling him right after with punch after punch. Seulgi kicked a foot out, hitting a groin, and threw a punch at the other offender. As the one girl went to put Seulgi in a headlock, Joy's fist made solid contact with her face, sending her to the ground. The one previously-pounced-on boy lay on the ground, holding his head, and Joy and Seulgi grappled with the other two standing attackers, grabbing at hair and ties when the tweet of a whistle grew louder.

The crowd scattered and an officer shooed students away, berating them. "What's there to look at, huh? Go on! No fighting here!" The four entangled people were thrown apart, and the officer gave them a stern gaze. "You hear me? No fighting!"

Seulgi and Joy at least had the decency to bow their heads.

"Why'd you fight, Seul?" Irene asked softly. She was tired of Seulgi ending every day with a new cut or bruise; the result of another day's fighting.

"He bumped me," Seulgi muttered.

"You fought because somebody  _bumped_  you?"

"No," Seulgi said. She quirked an eyebrow at Irene as if to question her intelligence and then continued, "He bumped me, and then wanted me to  _apologize_. He wanted _me_  to do it!"

"Seulgi, you can't just go around fighting people over every little thing. And  _you_ , Joy," Irene turned her attention to the girl who sat sulking on the other end of the bench, "can't go barging in to help!"

"It worked, didn't it? I beat him pretty good."

She wasn't wrong. A stretcher had to come in and take that poor, barely conscious boy away before he bled out on the floor.

Irene glanced at the ground. The blood hadn't been cleaned yet.

"It doesn't matter whether you 'beat him pretty good,' Sooyoung! You can't just go around fighting your way through life, both of you, and if you do, you'll just both end up hurt." Irene ran a finger over the cut on Seulgi's brow. "And I don't want to see either of you hurt, okay?"

"Can you keep the PDA to a minimum?" Yeri asked, earning a smack from Irene.

"Yah, Yerimmie! Shut your mouth!"

"She's right, though, unnie," complained Joy. She enjoyed seeing Irene flustered and frustrated, and she especially enjoyed stirring up trouble. It was too fun, and Irene was so easy to tease. "I'm too young for this."

"As if _you_ haven't done anything, Joy," Irene retorted, ready to strangle the two younger girls with her bare hands. The only thing keeping her back was Seulgi's hands on her shoulders, calming her down.

"I'm not the one doing it with Seulgi in front of children." Joy lifted a hand to her forehead and pretended to faint. "Oh, my eyes!"

"Give your mom a break," Seulgi joked. Irene gave her side-eye for the jab at her age, and Seulgi cleared her throat. "I mean, uh, give Irene a break."

"Seulgi unnie to your rescue," Yeri said to Irene. "Very coupley."

"Yerim-ah, don't tease her like that." Seulgi was trying to warn the younger girls so that Irene wouldn't explode, which Seulgi was pretty sure would happen soon if the girls didn't stop.

"Like what?"

"Yerim, I am going to kill you."

"No, you won't, Hyun. And you, Yerim, just be quiet." Seulgi looked to her side. "Sooyoung, don't even start."

"Fine," grumbled Joy, who crossed her arms and leaned into Yeri. "You're no fun."

Irene rolled her eyes and saw the charming smile of Seulgi right before her eyes, much more charming than that Bo-what's-it from before. And speaking of Bo-face...

"Shit," Irene said under her breath. She quickly sat in Seulgi's lap, much to the bear's surprise, and positioned them so that Seulgi's arms wrapped around her waist while hers rested around Seulgi's neck.

"Irene, what-"

"Shh! Just pretend you're talking to me!"

"I  _am_  talking to you, Irene, but what-"

"Oh, god, he just waved."

" _Who_  waved, Irene? Is someone following you?" Seulgi's brow creased. "I swear, I'm going to-"

"-Not do anything," Irene finished for her, eyes narrowing. "No more fighting, right?"

"...Right."

"Total couple," Yeri whispered to Joy.

"Could be us," Joy said back.

"Gross!"

"I am not  _that_  gross, okay. Jeez, Yeri, but-"

Yeri suddenly stood up from the bench, looking around wildly. "Something just pinched me!"

"What?" Seulgi gave Yeri a confused look before shooting up from the seat, holding her elbow and glaring at Joy. "Hey, cut it out!"

"That wasn't me," argued Joy. "You're kind of a pussy, you know, grabbing your elbow 'cause of a pinch -- Ow!"

"Who's pussy now?" Seulgi jabbed Joy in the side with a satisfied grin.

"Language!" Irene scolded the two with a smack upside each of their heads.

"It feels like..." Yeri's puzzled expression turned bright. " _Magic_."

As if on cue, papers began flying down the subway tunnel. The electricity surged, blowing out the bulbs, and tiles began falling from the ceiling as the subway tunnel seemed to collapse with no one paying attention. The other people waiting to board remained unbothered, minding their own business as Irene, Seulgi, Joy, and Yeri found themselves nearly blown over by the strong wind that whooshed through the space making a mess. 

"Is this what I think it is?" Joy yelled above the roaring wind that was only growing stronger.

"I think so!" Yeri yelled back. The wind howled in her ears as everything swirled in on itself, collapsing and breaking when all of a sudden, it was dark and quiet. When Yeri opened her eyes, she caught sight of crystal clear water rolling onto the shore, slow and steady. She laughed a twinkling laugh and ran for the beach, grabbing Joy's hand as she did so. "Come on, guys!"

The other three girls all smiled knowingly and kicked off their shoes before dashing into the water. The ocean shined a brilliant blue, tropical and beautiful and calm. Yeri splashed some water up into Seulgi's face, causing the older girl to splash her in return. Water sprayed everywhere, getting on their clothes. Yeri stopped.

"Has there always been ruins in Narnia?" She asked quizzically.

"No, what are you talking about?" As far as Seulgi could remember, there had never been ruins in Narnia. After all, what would the ruins even been of?

"There, unnie," Yeri pointed, causing all of them to be confused.

Perched on the top of a rocky hill were some stone pillars and walls, worn down over the years. The girls made their way up to the ruins and came across some stone that looked like the remnants of chairs. In front of that stone was a slightly raised circle platform, traces of something etched into the surface. Yeri walked around, getting a feel for the space, before thinking aloud, "Cair Paravel."

"What'd you say, Yerimmie?"

"Cair Paravel," Yeri spoke with more confidence now, regaining her voice, "Irene unnie." She turned to address all three of her friends and gestured to the area around them. "It's Cair Paravel. Don't you remember? These are -- err, were -- our thrones.  _This_  is where we sat, Kings and Queens..." Yeri trailed off, deep in thought and concentrating hard. "Of Narnia." She ran her hands along the stone of what used to be her throne.

"...What happened?" Joy wanted to know. No one could answer her.

The girls all followed Seulgi, who began pushing a slab of stone that masqueraded as a wall. Joy helped her push, and the stone moved revealed an old wooden door, unopened for many years. Seulgi ripped a piece of her shirt, tearing her nice button down and wrapping the cloth around a stick.

"Got any matches?" Seulgi's question was met with a shake of the head from Yeri and Irene.

"Hmm," wondered Joy, tapping her chin. She began rummaging through the bag she'd had slung over her shoulder when they'd been transported to Narnia. "Matches... Got any matches..." She sighed. "Sorry, Seul. No matches. Would this work?"

Seulgi gave Joy a playful push. "You couldn't have mentioned that  _before_  I did this?" Seulgi pointed at her torn shirt and waved for Joy to lead the way with flashlight in hand. Joy flipped the device on, illuminating the stairwell, and the four slowly made their way down through the dark before reaching a bright room lit by the sun.

"It's our things!" Yeri exclaimed excitedly, running towards one of the four silver chests with gold inlays that were placed around the room.

Seulgi carefully picked up the leather scabbard that lay on top of her clothes and took out her sword, Rhindon. The metal rung as Seulgi gave the blade a few experimental swings. She sheathed the sword and picked up a large shield emblazoned with a red lion. She looked at the shield fondly, remembering the time this equipment had served her in glorious battle.

Joy found her own sword and shield and was pretending to fight off an onslaught of enemies that fell one by one as Joy's sword chopped them down.

"This dress is so big." Yeri looked at the dress in awe, holding it up next to her for comparison.

"You  _were_  older then," laughed Irene as she picked up her still-filled quiver, the bright red fletching of each arrow proudly poking out, and slung it over her shoulder. She smiled when she picked up her trusty bow, memories flooding through her, and she tugged at the bowstring, testing how taut. Yeri was busy digging through her chest, complaining about how most of the clothes were too big. Irene lifted up some of the dresses in her own chest and frowned. "I can't find my horn... Guess I must've left it in my saddle the day we went back."

A solemn sense filled the air as all of them remembered leaving Narnia behind unintentionally, sent back to the real world not of their own accord thinking they would never see Narnia again, but here they were.

Why?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wendy wakes up to find herself in unknown territory, and the four friends of Cair Paravel find an unlikely ally before trekking to find their purpose in Narnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like the story so far. Follow my Twitter/Tumblr @sagwalli for author updates and more :)

Wendy opened her eyes. A dull pain still wracked her brain, but she could deal. A wet cloth dropped off her forehead as she sat up and took a second to recompose, blood rushing through her body, before slowly standing up. She didn't know where she was, but she could tell she was in a home. The question was,  _whose?_ The room was cozy, albeit small, and some candles burned for steady light in the otherwise lightless room. There were no windows, which Wendy did find strange, but the room was still bright. She strained her ears, catching the faint sound of voices, and she inched toward the door. For all she knew, they were planning to kill her. Maybe even send her back to the king.

She shuddered at the thought.

She'd left Eunji behind, her friend from birth, and everything else she could've possibly had. Now, she was in some stranger's home potentially waltzing to her death. 

She pushed open the bedroom door and carefully descended the stairs, ducking her head to avoid hitting the low ceiling. Very low, in fact. When Wendy reached the bottom of the staircase, she peeked around the corner and nearly fainted on the spot.

"We can't keep her," the short man complained. "She's a Telmarine, and she nearly got us killed!"

"Now, now," the badger said. Yes,  _badger._ Wendy blinked. Maybe she was seeing things. 

She wasn't.

"Don't you 'now, now' me, Van," the man said, waving the badger off. He took hold of a broom and aggressively swept the ground. "We're better off without her."

"We are not going to kill the girl, Chanyeol," Van said gently. "She's done nothing wrong."

"Nothing wrong?" Chanyeol asked incredulously. He stopped sweeping and squared up with Van, gripping the broom so tight his knuckles turned white. "Kyungsoo was  _captured_ , Van, and while he may mean nothing to you," Chanyeol spoke quietly, "I can't say the same for myself. He's gone because of  _her_ , Van. She should be gone, too." Chanyeol sighed before brandishing the broom like a sword. "What the -- You!"

Chanyeol growled at Wendy, who had heard enough and attempted to make a run for it before Chanyeol could slit her throat. She clearly hadn't thought her plan out well enough, and now a short man with a broom was about to beat her ass.

"Chanyeol!" Van barked, attempting to calm the dwarf. "Please!"

"You ungrateful thing," Chanyeol snarled, not taking his eyes off Wendy, who felt like her legs might give out. Who knew a dwarf could be so terrifying? "Lost a friend because of you but  _still_  took you in, cared for you, and nursed you back to health!"

"You were going to kill me!" Wendy cried, just barely dodging the broom as it whooshed past her face. "You call that nursing back to health?"

"Kill you?" Van glared at Chanyeol. "See what you've done, Chan? Given her the wrong idea is what! Now  _please_ , both of you, be civil! Nobody _was_  getting killed, and nobody  _is_  getting killed _._ " Van glared at Chanyeol again, who just rolled his eyes. "But call me 'stupid badger' one more time and someone  _will_." Chanyeol avoided eye contact but shut up just the same, feeling slighted at being caught muttering insults under his breath.

Van triumphantly turned to face Wendy. "I'm sorry about that, dear. Our friend was taken by the other Telmarines, and Chanyeol is still bitter."

"Understandable," said Wendy softly. It was her fault.

"It is  _not_  your fault," Van reassured Wendy as if reading her mind. "But if you wouldn't mind telling us, just why were those Telmarines chasing a Telmarine soldier?"

"Soldier?" Wendy repeated. She harrumphed and puffed out her chest, standing as tall as possible without crashing her head into the ceiling. "I am no soldier. I am Princess Wendy."

Chanyeol was unimpressed as the girl very obviously stood taller. He got it, already. He was short. No need to rub it in. "You," Chanyeol looked her up and down, "are Princess Wendy. _You_ are supposed to be the princess?"

"I  _am_  the princess, thank you! I have been raised from birth to inherit the throne and rule as all great kings have." Wendy pressed her lips together in a thin line. "But I've run away." The confused looks on Van and Chanyeol's face prompted her to continue, so she cleared her throat and explained, "I am no longer the heir. The king now has a child, a son, and that makes me a threat. For his son to be king with no obstructions, I need to be gone. So I ran away. He tried to kill me."

Chanyeol glanced over at Van, who glanced back. The two nodded at each other, and Van said to Wendy, "You blew the horn. Do you know what that means?"

"Something to do with the Kings and Queens, right?" Wendy answered uncertainly. She remembered how she blew the horn that Eunji had given her, the horn that was supposed to call for help. Reality hit her like a brick. "Oh my god, you're a talking badger."

"Yes, it's astounding," deadpanned Van. He brushed off Wendy's surprise. "We are the remnants of Old Narnia; of times when creatures roamed free until  _your_  people, the Telmarines, sent us all underground with death as the only other option. So, here we have hidden. The horn you blew belonged to that of Queen Irene the Peaceful."

"Queen Irene..." Wendy remembered Eunji telling her stories of Irene, a woman who was said to be the most beautiful in the land with archery skills unmatched by any. Beautiful and deadly.

"Long gone missing, yet here you are, a royal, standing in my home with that horn in your possession. Chanyeol, we must gather the Narnians."

"For her?" Chanyeol felt skeptical. This girl was it?

"This is the beginning of something, Chanyeol," Van said firmly. He gave a resounding nod. "I'm sure of it."

"If you help me regain my throne," Wendy began, "I promise to restore Narnia. No more hiding. None of this. I will rule and ensure a place where we can live side-by-side. Please. Help me, and I will help you."

Van averting his gaze from the girl's pleading eyes. He sensed no malice. "Chanyeol, it is time."

"You really are sure?"

Van nodded. "It is time we fight back."

 

In the castle, the king paced around the large meeting room. The lords were seated at a U-shaped table arrangement in chairs surrounding the king on all sides. There was a heavy silence in the room as everyone waited for the king to speak. He had been pacing for some time, building the suspense and purposely keeping the lords at the edge of his seat. The pacing also helped, in fact, keep him from directing his anger at any of the lords. He was still quite angry at the failed assassination of Wendy. He'd nearly chopped Kai's head right off when the man ducked in to see the king and report that Wendy was missing. Kai and his men had been sent to kill Wendy in the dead of the night after the birth of the new prince. Crossbows had fired into the curtains that surrounded the bed and created a flurry of pillow feathers as the bolts tore up the mattress and pillows, but there was no body. Wendy had at it appeared, escaped.

King Suho was more than angry. He was furious.

With his plan gone awry, he had no choice but to appear, to a degree, composed, and he needed an excuse. After all, the disappearance of a princess was no easy matter, even if she was no longer needed. Suho had called a meeting for that very reason. He needed to take care of the problem before it became a bigger problem.

"It seems that my dearest niece was..." Suho paused for dramatic effect, " _kidnapped_."

"Kidnapped?" The lord who spoke stood up. "My liege, I don't know if we can make such assumptions so freely."

Suho turned quickly to face the naysayer. "I do not make baseless accusations," he said, seething on the inside. Suho waved at his right-hand man. "Bring him in."

Kai bowed and went to open the double doors at the entrance of the room. Two soldiers shoved the man through the doors and forced him to his knees; a spectacle, display, act. Suho had it all figured out.

"This...  _thing_  here," all the lords were either gaping or gasping at the bizarre sight of a dwarf, one of the many Narnian inhabitants thought to be extinct, "was captured. He confessed to kidnapping, but Princess Wendy..." Suho pretended to tear up, "is now dead."

Every eyebrow in the room shot up into the ceiling. Dead? They all bowed their heads for a moment of mourning, the dwarf glaring at them all while yelling into his gag. His muffled shouts were the only sound in the room as Suho triumphantly walked around the room. Success.

Long live the king. Long live his son. No longer lived the princess.

 

Irene jumped over the rock and laughed a twinkling laugh that was music to Seulgi's ears. Seulgi watched as Irene playfully chased Yeri, who in turn hid behind Joy. Joy scrambled to move, avoiding the oncoming Irene who grabbed hold of Yeri and cuffed her head. Joy joined in on the action and began tickling Yeri's sides. Yeri's protesting went unheard and quickly turned into a multitude of giggles as she escaped Irene's grasp and tackled Joy. The happy expressions on their faces made Seulgi feel at peace, though she couldn't but feel a little bit uneasy. They were in Narnia for a reason, and Seulgi was waiting to find out why.

"Seul?" Irene sat beside Seulgi, finding a seat on the log. "You don't want to join?"

"Nah, it's okay," Seulgi said. "I like just watching the kids." When she said that, Yeri threw sand into Joy's face, causing the taller girl to sputter and knock Yeri over.

"Alright," Irene hummed. She rested her head on Seulgi's shoulder and looped an arm through Seulgi's. Irene intertwined their fingers and looked up at the girl's bear-like face. There was a suspenseful silence between them as the conversation ended sooner than it should've. Both sat, waiting for the other to speak again, yet fine with the prospect of her not. Irene opened her mouth and closed it again, trying to build up the courage to ask a question. Seulgi still looked out at Yeri and Joy running joyfully in circles, laughing; free. Her watchful eyes, those of a protector, never left the two kids. Irene buried her face in the crook of Seulgi's neck listened to the steady beat of her own heart thrumming in her ears alongside Seulgi's before taking a deep breath and finally asking, "Do you like anyone?"

Seulgi returned Irene's steady gaze and didn't hesitate to send Irene's heart fluttering. "Don't you already know the answer?"

A faint pink dusted Irene's cheeks, and she looked back towards Yeri and Joy, who lay wrestling on the ground. "Well-"

"What's that?" Seulgi's smile disappeared and was replaced by a serious demeanor as she grabbed her sword and ran.

"Seulgi, wait!" Irene sighed and chased after, bow in hand. Feelings would have to wait.

 

"It's so creepy," the soldier said as he rowed the boat. He couldn't stop himself from glancing down at the eyes that were boring into him. The dwarf had been staring the entire time, never leaving the soldier's eyes. "Can't he stop?"

"Don't be such a baby. We're almost rid of him. Come on, here's a good spot."

The two soldiers picked up the bound dwarf and prepared to swing him over the edge of the rowboat when a voice called out, "Hey!"

The soldiers turned to see four rather young looking children appear up the bank. The one who had spoken -- a very,  _very_  beautiful girl, actually -- aimed her bow at one of the soldiers. She looked unbothered by the idea of shooting, and the soldiers glanced at each other. She called out again. "Hey! Drop him!"

Didn't need to tell them twice.

The soldiers flung the dwarf into the river, one of the soldiers receiving an arrow in the back as a reward. The other soldiers dove into the river, attempting to escape, but found his attempt in vain as his blood began swirling before his eyes, an arrow in his neck.

Seulgi threw her sword, dashed for the water, and ducked under. She kicked her legs and swam, reaching for the thrashing dwarf whose lungs would soon run out of air. Seulgi wrapped an arm around his body and pushed off the bottom of the river with the toe of her boots, gasping for air once her head broke the surface. She saw the worry lines fade off Irene's face as she exited the river and lay the dwarf down.

Yeri knelt beside the dwarf and made quick work of his bonds, cutting the rope from his hands so he could take off his gag. He looked at each of them before staring at Irene.

" _Drop_  him?" He stepped closer to Irene, who backed away at the sudden display of hostility. "You really couldn't think of anything better to say?"

"Well, sorry for saving your life!" Irene said, flustered. "Maybe should've just  _let_  them drop you. Would you have liked that instead?"

"Excuse me-"

"Yeah, excuse you," interrupted Seulgi. "Don't even try to hurt Irene." She drew her sword and moved in front of Irene to protect her as the dwarf stepped forward yet again.

"Irene? Who are you?" The dwarf asked Seulgi, looking confused.

"Seulgi. Who are _you_?"

The dwarf groaned and stomped a foot, the realization dawning on his face. "This can't be. Oh, no. This can't be happening."

Joy raised an eyebrow and said to Yeri, "What's his problem?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Yeri said back, watching the dwarf mourn or whatever the heck it was he was doing.

" _You're_  what we've been given? You're the Kings and Queens of Old? Sent here to save us?"

Seulgi bristled and lowered her sword. "What's wrong with that?"

The dwarf scoffed "Pardon me, but you don't look much like kings and queens. You're just children."

"Children, huh? Alright, then. How about a fight?"

"I'm not fighting you," said the dwarf, looking Seulgi up and down.

"Not me," Seulgi said, with a chuckle. She pointed with her chin. "Her."

Joy grinned and pulled her sword, getting into a fighting stance.

"What-" The dwarf began to say, only to be cut off by the heavy weight of Seulgi's sword in his hands and a hearty shove to his back. He lifted himself, gripping Seulgi's sword tightly, and swung the blade, which clanged loudly against Joy's defensive parry. He stopped and circled Joy, waiting for a moment, and lunged, the point of the sword driving towards Joy's heart. Joy spun to the side, dodging, but the dwarf kept going, slicing at Joy, who just kept blocking his attacks. Joy tripped and tried to recover as the dwarf held the sword over his head to bring down on Joy when the girl suddenly stood and flicked her wrist, catching the dwarf's sword and sending it skidding in the sand. His mouth dropped open.

"Blimey," the astounded dwarf said. "The Kings and Queens of Old."

"Tried to tell you," Joy said with a smile, sheathing her sword and handing Seulgi's back to her. "We're the real deal."

 

"It's this way, I tell you," Seulgi argued as she headed under a stone arch. The group had been walking for a while, Seulgi in the lead.

"You sure?" Kyungsoo asked. The dwarf was not convinced. "I don't remember any passing over this way."

"It's a shortcut," Seulgi stubbornly answered. "I've used it countless times."

"A thousand years ago," Irene reminded her. The four friends hadn't been in Narnia for many, many Narnian years, though only a year or so had passed in the real world since their last visit.

"It still works," Seulgi insisted. She didn't wait for an answer and kept walking. Irene made eye contact with Kyungsoo and shrugged. The dwarf just sighed and followed Seulgi. After ten minutes, the sound of rushing water roared in their ears as they peered down into the gorge. Seulgi looked sheepish. "Forgot about erosion."

"It seems you did," Kyungsoo said, leaning over the edge. The water was at least twenty feet below, and there was no way they could cross.

"We... We'll follow you," Seulgi said defeatedly. Irene squeezed her arm and whispered something into Seulgi's ear, raising the girl's spirits and one of Kyungsoo's eyebrows. They all turned to leave, but Yeri's eyes fixated on something across the gorge.

"Aslan?" Yeri squinted and jumped for joy upon seeing the lion. "Aslan! It's Aslan!"

"Where?" Seulgi quickly asked, looking around.

"There! He's right-" Yeri looked back across the gorge, seeing nothing. "...There."

Yeri swore with all her heart that Aslan, the great Aslan, had stood across the gorge, waiting for them to follow. She had seen his golden pelt and mane and his reassuring smile that told her everything would be alright because everything had a purpose, a meaning, and she'd find hers. She would recognize him anywhere, and she swore she had recognized him just then, even if he wasn't there anymore. He had been there. He had.

Seulgi exhaled and walked over to where Yeri stood dumbfounded that Aslan had gone. Seulgi patted Yeri's shoulder. "Sorry, Yeri. There's nothing there."

"He was! I promise! He was right over there, telling us how to cross!"

"If Aslan really was there, then how come none of _us_ saw him? Only you?"

"Maybe you just weren't looking."

Seulgi sighed and looked to Irene for help.

"Or maybe you just thought you saw him," Irene said gently, giving Yeri an apologetic look. She took hold of Seulgi's hand and led the girl away, following Kyungsoo.

"Joy?" Yeri asked hopefully. Maybe her other friend would believe her.

"Sorry, Yeri," she mumbled and began walking away. "I didn't see him."

Yeri looked once more across the gorge, willing Aslan to appear. He didn't.

"I'm not seeing things," Yeri said to herself. She went to catch up to the others. "I'm not seeing things."

Or at least, she hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wendy meets the Narnians. Narnia isn't like it used to be.

Wendy walked through the woods, the soft leather of her boots thudding into the dirt. She carefully stepped over some flowers and pushed through the lush, green undergrowth that blocked part of her path. The sunlight streamed through the tall canopy of the trees and warmed Wendy's face. She went up on her toes restlessly and bounced lightly as her heels came back down to imprint in the dirt an outline of her small feet.

"I know you're out there," Wendy said, turning around. She crossed her arms and tutted as a sheepish-looking Van poked his head out, paws pressed together, from behind a tree. Wendy could clearly see the head of Chanyeol pop out and then duck back out of sight.

"I just think that maybe we should wait for the Kings and Queens," Van suggested slowly. He tentatively walked towards Wendy, who despite her short stature, still very much loomed intimidatingly over his badger height.  When Wendy gave no reply and just continued walking away, he shouted after her, "Fine! See if the others will pay you any mind! You might just go and never come back!"

"Maybe I'll come with you," Chanyeol added. Van opened and closed his mouth several times, fumbling for words as he and Chanyeol trailed Wendy several feet behind. "I want to see you try and explain things to the minotaurs."

Wendy stopped, causing Chanyeol to bumble straight into Van with a low grunt. She needed to make sure she heard correctly.

"Did you say minotaurs? They're real?"

"With  _very_ bad tempers," Van said, face contorted as if remembering something he wasn't so fond of.

"And they're big, mean, tough-" Chanyeol paused and looked Wendy straight in the eye. "- _huge._ "

Wendy thought for a moment. "What about centaurs? Do they still exist?"

Chanyeol snorted, drawing a disapproving glance from Van. "Oh,  _do_  they."

"Ignore him. He's just had a couple of bad interactions with them."

"A couple? It's been  _more_  than a couple, okay, Van, and I think-"

"As I said," Van interrupted, placing a warning paw on Chanyeol's shoulder, " _ignore him._ " Van turned back to Wendy. "Anyway, the centaurs will probably fight on your side, but who knows what the others will do. You  _are_  a Telmarine after all and," Wendy was about to protest," even though you are different, I suppose, you are still a Telmarine to them."

Wendy's jaw closed as Van shut down her protest. She stopped walking and asked another question. "What about Aslan?"

Van and Chanyeol stopped in their tracks, a few feet ahead of Wendy. The two looked briefly at each other, unsure of how to proceed, as they faced the curious princess who looked at them with a sense of wonder.

"What about him- Oof!"

"Aslan has not appeared for many years," Van said carefully with a smile, eyes still trained on Chanyeol, who held his stomach and glared at the badger. Wendy looked uneasily between the two and just nodded. That badger sure packed a punch.

"I see." Wendy pushed a branch out of her way, unaware of it snapping back until Chanyeol yelped as the branch smacked him in the face.

"Holy mother-"

"Language!" Van silenced the dwarf, who then muttered to himself what Wendy imagined to be a string of colorful curses directed at her.

"Sorry!" Wendy quickly apologized, running towards the dwarf.

Chanyeol threw a hand up to stay her away, stopping Wendy as she rather terrifyingly came bumbling towards her. Chanyeol flinched back as Wendy reached a hand out, and he quickly reacted.

"Ow!" Wendy cried, jerking back her reddening hand. She looked at Chanyeol in disbelief. "Did you just slap me?!"

"Yeah, what about it?" Chanyeol shot back at the scandalized princess, rubbing his face. Several red scratches ran across his cheeks.

"I am a princess! You can't slap a princess!"

"Says who, huh? It was just your hand, _p_ _rincess_."

"Shut it, you two," Van warned. "You might be a princess in the castle, but let us remind you that you are _not_ a princess here." Chanyeol sniggered, and Van quickly continued, "And you, Chanyeol, should know better as a creature of these woods. Your immaturity is astounding."

"I am not-"

Wendy just gave Chanyeol a look that said, _Told you so,_ prompting Chanyeol to stop talking and pull his mouth into a tight smile. Wendy smiled back that same smile, and the trio started to walk again in the dull silence that had overtaken them when a crossbow bolt thudded dangerously into the thick bark of a tree only several inches from Wendy's head. She scanned the perimeter and saw soldiers run towards them, crossbows and swords in hand.

"Still think it's so great an idea to go traipsing through the woods to your death?" Chanyeol asked sarcastically. He and Van had told Wendy their concerns about wandering through the forest, she had brushed them off, and now they were going to die.

"Not the time, Chanyeol!" Van yelled, sprinting his way through the bushes that kept blocking his path. He pushed a branch out of his way and it smacked Chanyeol in the face again.

"What the hell, Van!"

"Sorry!" 

Suddenly a bolt whizzed through the air and hit Van in the shoulder. Van cried out in pain and fell among the underbrush of the woods. Wendy skidded to a stop and turned back, rushing to Van's side.

"Go on without me," Van said weakly, attempting to push Wendy away. "My time has come." Van put a paw to his forehead and dramatically lay his head down, awaiting the end.

Wendy looked at the soldiers, looked at the apparently dying badger, and looked back at the soldiers.

"Oh, bullocks." Wendy threw the badger over her shoulder and ran for dear life.

"Hey!" Wendy heard a soldier yell out. She turned just in time to see his body land on the ground, lifeless. His comrade paused in his shooting, lowering his crossbow to check on the fallen when he too found himself with his back in the dirt before losing himself to the black spots that dotted his vision. Several other soldiers fell within minutes of the first two, all crying out and finding themselves with their feet swept out from beneath them before having their lives snatched away just like that. Wendy looked around wildly as more soldiers fell, leaving just one man standing, trembling in his boots, before he yelled and threw his crossbow up, his body disappearing among the plants soon after.

Wendy felt her body tense up as the bushes around her shook, signaling some kind of movement but the assailant was nowhere to be seen. Was this some sort of ghost? Maybe some other invisible force of the Old Narnia that she had conveniently forgotten about, leaving her dumbfounded as how to proceed? Was she going to die right there? Before she could experience worldly things such as what it was like to drink beer, go for a swim, or have a first love?

You'd think she would've had a beer or gone for a swim before, but castle life had been incredibly restrictive. She'd had wine before, but never beer, and going for a swim was just a no. It's not like there was any safe place for a young girl to go swimming anyway. And for a first love... Well, Wendy didn't want to think about it. Maybe she didn't want to experience heartache, heartbreak. But she also didn't think that it would be proper to die without.

Wendy crossed her fingers behind her back, praying to the heavens above for her life to be spared for the sake of tasting beer and all things else worth experiencing on Earth as she felt the wind get knocked out of her lungs. She lay there on the ground, eyes wide in shock as a sword poked at the flesh right under her chin at the top of her throat.

Sword. That was a sword? That needle of a weapon was a sword?

Wendy stared at the tiny blade. Well, stared as well as she could with her head tilted back so that the weapon didn't run straight into her jugular. She knitted her eyebrows together, trying to comprehend the sight before her. A crimson plume stood proudly attached to a golden circlet that sat atop the head of the small mouse who held Wendy at swordpoint with a skinny rapier.

"Prepare to die, Telmarine!" The mouse shouted, ready to slit Wendy's throat with one smooth swipe across pale flesh. Wendy gulped.

Today was not her day. Or yesterday. Great.

"Stand down, Chuu!" Van cried out, running with a paw out to hold Chuu back.

"But Van," whined Chuu, small feet padding against Wendy's chest, "she's a Telmarine!"

"She's with us," Van explained. He grimaced in pain and clutched at his shoulder, where the crossbow bolt from earlier still protruded. "Ouch."

"Van, are you okay?" Chuu gasped and examined the wound.

"Does he  _look_  okay to you?" Chanyeol butt in. The inevitable sass had Wendy sure he would be the next to die, but somehow, his body was still intact.

As Van smacked Chanyeol upside the head, Chuu bowed at Wendy with an exaggerated twirl of the hand. "I am Chuu, leader of the Talking Mice! I protect the forest as the rest of the mice do from danger, including the Telmarine soldiers that you so kindly led here."

"Sorry about that," Wendy said with an embarrassed smile.

Chuu's eyes widened and she waved her little hands in protest. "Oh, no! No! Don't apologize! It's nothing we couldn't take care of."

"Yup," chirped Yves from beside Wendy. "Nothing we couldn't take care of."

Chuu grinned a wide grin and hopped off of Wendy, allowing the girl to stand up and brush the dirt from her clothes. She shook a couple of leaves free from her hair and gave her clothes a final pat before standing upright and saying to Van, "So what were we saying about meeting the Old Narnians?"

 

Yeri bounded forward excitedly upon seeing a large, brown bear lumbering along, nosing the ground for reasons Yeri didn't know.

"Look!" Yeri pointed at the bear.

"Don't think they're the same as when you met them," warned Kyungsoo, who looked warily from the bear to Yeri.

"Yeri, get back," Seulgi commanded, drawing her sword. "Yeri!"

"Shoot the damn thing, Irene!" Joy shouted as the bear broke into a run and knocked Yeri to the ground. Yeri lifted one arm up in an attempt to fend off her impending doom as Irene notched an arrow and aimed. Joy's panic rose as she shouted once again, impatiently waving Irene on. "Shoot!"

Yeri screamed.

When she opened her eyes, the lifeless body of a beautiful, brown bear lay shrouded in a cloud of dust that settled into the bear's once shiny coat, now dull and dirty. Yeri let her fingers brush lightly against the soft fur before flinching at the sound of Joy's yell.

"Why didn't you shoot?!"

"I..." Irene felt small under Joy's heated gaze. She had no answer for the fuming girl who had thought she was about to witness her dear friend die right before her eyes, slaughtered like prey by the ravaging claws of a ruthless, wild animal.

Joy stomped a foot in the ground and dashed to Yeri's side, rubbing comforting circles into the shocked girl's back. Yeri sat frozen, fingers still barely touching the bear, as Joy whispered into her ear and rested their foreheads against one another.

Irene looked on wordlessly, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. She had hesitated.  _Hesitated_.

It'd almost cost Yeri her life.

Irene looked down at the still-notched arrow and slowly lowered the bow before sliding the arrow back into its quiver. Kyungsoo huffed impatiently beside her and tossed the stolen crossbow, taken from the Telmarines, the remaining bolt now gone. He had no use for such weapons anyway.

Irene didn't know what had come over her. She'd shot animals before, killed animals before. Killed  _people_  before. Yet, with the bear, she had found herself like a deer in headlights. She'd been watching from the outside, unable to move or speak or do anything beside stand uselessly as a bystander, and she would've witnessed Yeri's death if not for Kyungsoo. Irene didn't know what she'd do if Yeri died. She didn't want to think about it. She could only imagine the heartbreaking conversation she'd have with Saeron, Yeri's dear friend back home.

_"Saeron?"_

_"Hi, unnie! What are you doing here? Where's Yeri?"_

_"Saeron.,. I'm afraid you can't see her again."_

_"Very funny, unnie! Now, where is she?"_

_Irene placed a hand on Saeron's shoulder and stared into those twinkling eyes so full of wonder and watched the twinkle fade as she said those next few words._

_"I"m serious, Saeron. She's gone. Forever."_

Irene shuddered at the thought. She felt Seulgi's hand encircle her arm and squeeze lightly. When she looked up at Seulgi's bear-like face, she saw only concern and curiosity. No blame or animosity.

"Why didn't you shoot?"

"I... I don't know. I was ready to shoot, I really was, but then all of a sudden I..."

"Why did he do that?" Yeri unfroze and said out loud,

"Reckon he was hungry," Kyungsoo said simply.

"Why couldn't he talk? Why?" Yeri more demanded than asked. Joy whispered into her ear again, calming her down.

"Be treated like an animal long enough, and that's what you become," Kyungsoo answered grimly. He made his way over to Yeri and pulled the girl to her feet. "This is what Narnia has become."

 

"Who is this girl?" He asked suspiciously, jabbing a finger in her direction. She was one of  _those_ , and she was here! In the forest! What once was a haven was a haven no longer...

"This-"

"I am Wendy," she answered, cutting Van off. Van slapped a paw to his forehead and grumbled. "Princess Wendy."

"The Princess?" Baekhyun looked her up and down, still not satisfied. He looked to Chanyeol and Van and back to Wendy. Something seemed off. "What is the Princess doing here?"

"My uncle tried to have me killed, so I escaped to the forest where I met Van and Chanyeol," Wendy explained plainly.

"You... took this girl in?" Baekhyun's question was directed at Chanyeol. Van made a face.

" _I_  did not," Chanyeol clarified. "Van did."

"With good reason!" Van jumped in to save his reputation. If it was up to Chanyeol, Wendy probably would've been strung up and thrown in the river. Van would've followed soon after. "She is the key to restoring Narnia to its former glory." Van paced around, taking notice of the confused faces. "Can't you see? She is the _P_ _rincess_! She is the rightful heir to the throne, and she will be our champion.  _She_  will give back our freedom!"

Several of the previously confused faces turned into faces of satisfaction. Wendy just blew air from her puffed cheeks, thanking the Lord that she would not die by the hands of angry Narnians today. No thanks to Chanyeol, anyway. Wendy swore he had it out for her.

"Why should we trust you?" A bear rose on his hind legs and roared. "You've taken everything from us!"

Voices began clamoring over one another, fighting to be heard.

"Our home!"

"What's one thing the Telmarines  _haven't_  taken from us!"

"Yeah!"

"The Telmarines have ruined everything!"

" _Your_  people!"

"You would dare hold me accountable for the actions of my people?"

"More than accountable," Chanyeol muttered.

"Hah!" Chuu jumped down from where she stood up on a branch and drew her rapier, walking towards Chanyeol. "That's rich coming from you, Chanyeol, considering that your people fought alongside the _White Witch_!"

"And would gladly do so again," Chanyeol hissed, "to rid us of these barbarians!"

"The White Witch is gone, now." Van stepped forward and the assembled Narnian fell silent as he spoke. "She ruled in an age of darkness, and the last time Narnia prospered was when children of Adam and Eve sat upon on the throne."

"She's a  _Telmarine_!" Chanyeol protested, a ruddy finger pointing accusingly at Wendy, as if she  _chose_  to be a Telmarine.

It's not like she  _asked_  for any of this. She didn't ask to be a princess, didn't ask to be the heir to a throne that didn't even want her. She didn't ask for her parents to die or for her uncle to want her dead. She was born into it, all of it. And she just wanted to make things right.

"So why should we make her Queen?" A voice shouted. Several others chimed in agreement.

"I can help you. I will, I promise," Wendy added, watching as a couple of centaurs nodded. A few dwarves were talking amongst themselves, sneaking glances at Wendy and acting as if she hadn't noticed. She had. "I may just seem like a princess, but I have been prepared for the throne since birth. I am not my uncle. I do not wish to create a further rift between the Narnia of the Telmarines and the Narnia of the Old. I only wish to make peace and do what is right."

Van gave a small nod of approval.

"She is right," Baekhyun finally spoke. "It is time for the rift to heal. The skies have spoken to me, as they always do. Now, a daughter of Eve as wandered straight to us. She is the answer."

"Actually?" Yves asked, ears perking up. Her tail wiggled with excitement.

"A few days ago," Wendy began, "I never believed in the existence of dwarves or talking animals or centaurs, yet here I am, standing amongst you.  _As one of you_. The Telmarines never could have imagined that there'd be so many of you here. Incredible numbers. I don't know if this horn is magical or not," Wendy held up the horn for all to see and saw some faces look taken aback at the sudden appearance of such a famed object, "but this brought me here, to you all. That has to mean something. We have a chance to take back what is ours. WIll you stand with me?"

The centaurs, led by Baekhyun, murmured amongst themselves before Baekhyun drew his sword and held it out. "The centaurs will support you," Baekhyun decided, bowing his head in respect, the centaurs behind him following suit.

"All of us," added Chen, who stood beside Baekhyun.

"And us," Chuu said, her and the mice bowing. "We lay our lives down, unreservedly."

"Suho's army will find us soon," Van commented. "The King will not be too far behind."

"Then we best begin preparations. We need to find weapons, supplies." Wendy turned to address all the creatures of the forest, all of the eyes gazing upon her, their new leader. She would lead them into a new era. "War is coming!"

Yes. A new era would be born, born from the ashes of the castle. And of the King.

Beware, Suho. Beware.


End file.
